Tasuki's Bedtime Story
by Tenshisonnet
Summary: Tasuki gets a bedtime story every night from Chichiri, but will this change as the story outside of the book takes a turn? yaoi Tasuki x Chichiri
1. Chapter One

**Tasuki's Bedtime Story**

Pairing: Chichiri x Tasuki

Completed: December 2001

Author's note: I'm not a Japanese woman, so I don't own FY. This is my first FY fanfic. This story includes themes of Shounen ai.

"Ta~su~ki!" the impish Nuriko glomped the unsuspecting bandit for the umpteenth time that night. He draped her arms over his shoulders and whined, "Ta-chan, let's go for a few drinks! Come on, it'll be fun. Come on, come on!"  


Tasuki stopped fighting him off the fifteenth time he glomped him but still resisted him draw for alcohol. "Nuriko, Can't you see I'm busy! I'll go with you later."  


"Come on Ta-chan, you've been studying Chinese all day. Chiriko's been hogging you all week. Don't I get time with you?"  


"No, damn it! Now go away!"  


"Ta-chan. . ."  


Chiriko had become weary of this routine as well. "Nuriko-san, please leave us alone. I promised to be done with him in an hour."  


Chichiri sat across the library observing the whole situation. He too was becoming strained by the constant nagging. He was beginning to think Nuriko liked Tasuki better than Hotohori. He felt bad for Tasuki though; Tasuki had started to learn to read by Chichiri's request. Many times, Tasuki had come to Chichiri's side asking him to read him this legend or that story late at night. Chichiri enjoyed his visits, always allowing him as much time as he needed to read to Tasuki after his duties to the Miko and the emperor were through. He was trying to better himself, but Nuriko was dragging him back into his old ways.  


"But, Tasuki! Today is our drinking day!" He whined further.  


Chichiri stood up and shouted over the heads of all the other scholars and into Nuriko's ears: "Nuriko! Stop pestering Tasuki already no da! He's attempting to do something good for himself no da. You sit around and drink yourself silly and whine how unfair it is that the Emperor hasn't noticed you today no da. You're so damned selfish no da! Now go back to your room and drink yourself to sleep no da!"  


Nuriko started crying and ran out of the library, "Hidoi~!"  


The rest of the scholars stared at him until he sat back down and continued studying. Tasuki and Chiriko stared wide-eyed at Chichiri, then returned to reading after looking at each other's witless expressions.  


Chichiri glanced back at the parchment paper he had under the scroll he was pretending to read. In actuality, he was thinking how to begin his letter. The words on the scrolls lost meaning to him so he put the scrolls back and headed to the walkway over the lake. He sat serenely on the roof of the walkway and took out the parchment letter he'd thought about before. "Cherished one" was the only thing written on the parchment so far. As he gazed at the glow around the stars above, he found a few words that spoke of his cause.  


Every moment I stand alone, I feel your absence. Every movement of the wind brings life to the things surrounding me that remind me that I am here because of the Miko and you, alone. You are the object of my undying affection. It's been six months since I admitted it freely to myself. Now, I'm presenting myself to you. This is my heart. Please take care of it.  


Houjun  
  


As he wrote the last stroke of his name confidently, a loud noise broke out  


Underneath him. "CHI~CHI~RI~~!"  


His papers fell all over. Into the water they floated. Chichiri wanted to cry for the lost love letter. He pulled himself back onto the roof with a morbid frown on his face. He pulled his knees to his chest and began to sulk. None of the papers mattered except for the letter, now it's gone. He never even had the chance to give it to . . .  


"Oi! Chichiri! Come down here," a familiar voice demanded frustratedly.  


He refused to answer until the voice returned.  


"Chichiri, Hotohori wants to see you immediately," he declared.  


Chichiri hopped back into the walkway to face the last person he wanted to see. His face was contorted in a horrific manner underneath the mask.  


"Come on," Tasuki feebly asserted once more.  


Chichiri muttered, "Hai no da," and raced past Tasuki and into the palace. Tasuki followed him silently until he got to the door of the court then grabbed Chichiri's arm. "Oi, would you help me read the story of Shi Jin the nine-dragoned tonight?" he asked impishly.  


Chichiri merely nodded and headed to the emperor's feet. "Hai, Hotohori-sama!" he requested wanting to end this visit quickly. He could feel the emperor's anger on his back.  


"Chichiri-san, please raise and look at me," he requested calmly.  


Chichiri saw no servants in the room, so he did as he asked. He saw anger and disappointment in Hotothori's eyes. Shivers ran down his spine.  


"Chichiri, I realize that some of the other Suzaku seishi can agitate you, but your display in the library today was inexcusable. How do you expect to call upon Suzaku if all the seishi can't get along?"  


"Hai, Hotohori-sama. Doomo gomenasai," he blurted out.  


"Chichiri," he lamented. "I know Nuriko can be overbearing, but you know him and I have an awkward friendship. You must forgive him."  


"If you order me to I will."  


"This is not an order. It will not mean anything if you don't do it for yourself. You are dismissed."  


Chichiri made his way back to his room for a nap before rewriting the letter. It pained him to know his words were washed up so swiftly. His door slid open and closed silently. His kesa, kasa, and shoes fell to the ground listlessly by the door as he changed into an open shirt and drawstring pants of the same hazy eggshell color. He eyes shut and he took in the feeling of his body on the mattress. A loud sigh escaped his lungs, "Sigh no da."  
  


On the other side of the compound, Tasuki sat on the last seat in the corner of the empty library. The noises from the outside were heard over the silent shuffles of people there earlier in the day. Tasuki leaned on an elbow and poured over the texts again. Chiriko chose to teach him to read out of a Confusion reading, so he poured over that. He could get to the bottom of the second page before he messed up on the same character. Aggravated, he let his eyes wonder around the shelves of books nearest him and remembered the paper he'd picked up when he sought Chichiri out. The parchment was folded into fourths as to fit in his pocket.  


His eyes bugged out as soon as he read the first characters to himself. "That says cherished, doesn't it?" he thought to himself. He read on. The second sentence confused him, but he definitely got the point of the letter by the end. "Chichiri's name is Houjun, right? This means Chichiri loves someone!" His heart sank into his stomach with his thoughts. His Chichiri is in love. "It figures. I never told him how I felt. If course he'd fall for someone else. Baka. Baka! I should've. . ."  


His thoughts were interrupted by Chiriko joining him. He quickly folded the paper away. "Yo, Chiriko-chan."  


"Good evening Tasuki, what'cha got there?" he pointed to the pocket Tasuki had put the letter in.  


"Nothing, It's nothing. Could you tell me what that one meant again?" he pointed to the character he'd forgotten half a dozen times.  
  


Chichiri pulled out a book and placed it on his lap to read. Laughing at himself silently, he put his mask on the table near his mattress. Leaning against the wall, which his mattress was arranged near, he held the book up to read. The paper lantern near his head was the only light supplying his studies. By his estimate, Tasuki would be bounding through the door soon. He liked it when Tasuki visited him so late in the evening. Occasionally in the middle of the story, Chichiri would look at Tasuki sitting near his bed and imagine they were more than just Seishi to each other for a few moments. The more and more Tasuki would visit, the closer he sat to Chichiri, who was lately always in his bed. The thought of Tasuki sitting as close as he should that night brought warmth to Chichiri's ears. He shook his head and reapplied himself to the book.  
  


Through the dark hallways, Tasuki strolled toward Chichiri's room with a thick volume of stories in hand. "Chichiri, I will be happy for you if this person excepts you. If they break your heart, I'll break their face and help you put yourself back together again. I'll try to be happy just watching you from afar like I have been," he thought to himself. His hand routinely opened his door without warning to see Chichiri in all his glory on the bed with a book at his nose. He was wearing his shirt open, showing his tight chest and stomach. They were even better than he imagined. He tried not to stare as he closed the door behind him. "Chichiri-san, good evening." He was so formal it was obvious something was different.  


"Chichiri-san?" Chichiri thought to himself. "Hi, Tasuki no da. Which book is it tonight?" he asked comfortably.  


"It's Shi Jin the nine-dragoned. It's got bandits in it so I figured it was more in my league than that damned story about Mencius's mother we read a couple days ago. That was so boring," he rambled.  


Then Chichiri patted the foot of the bed with a smile. "I hope he isn't afraid of me," he thought behind the smile.  


Tasuki timidly sat at the edge of the bed after leaving he shoes at the door with his over shirt. He wanted to feel as comfortable with Chichiri as possible despite his heartache. "Since I'm getting better at this reading thing, how about I read some and if I mess up you help me?"  


"Hai," Chichiri replied. He stopped using the "no da's" as much when it was just himself and Tasuki. This was the first night he tried loosing the mask, too.  


Tasuki moved closer so Chichiri could see the book as well letting his nerves calm own a little. Chichiri could smell honey in Tasuki's hair as he read pusillanimously. Chichiri only interjected a couple times every couple pages. He read much slower than Chichiri, but seemed to breathe more life into the pages. Chichiri spent most of the story staring at Tasuki's facial expressions. His inner-child seemed to poke his head out every time he saw a new character coming into the story. Tasuki became discouraged whenever he made a mistake, but Chichiri told him to keep reading and that he'd get better at it. Then, he'd rub Tasuki's shoulders a bit, which relaxed both of them.  


After about twenty pages, Tasuki handed the book to Chichiri to read to him like he was accustomed to. He rolled onto his stomach and kicked his bare feet back and forth in delight that he was in Chichiri's presence once again. Tasuki just gazed at Chichiri and found it hard to get back into the story. As Chichiri finished the story with a smile on his face, he knew their precious time together was drawing to a close. Chichiri looked longingly at the book, closing it and asked, "Do you have any questions?"  


Tasuki nearly bit his tongue. "Chichiri, have you ever felt like a person you were really close to was slipping away even though they'd still be there tomorrow?"  


With a puzzled look, he thought, "What in the world is he talking about?" He looked blankly at Tasuki and answered, "I see this has nothing to do with the story. I do Tasuki. I think I know what you mean."  


Tasuki felt the vice around his heart tighten. "I feel like I'm loosing someone close to me and I don't know what to do."  


"Why don't you tell them that, Tasuki."  


"I can't tell 'em. It'd be weird. He'd hate me, but I don't know what I'd do if I lost him." He stared at Chichiri's plain earthly comforter. "How can I tell you that, Chichiri? How can I tell you I love you? You've right here, but you're so far away. Please don't slip away from me," he thought with sadness evident on his face.  


Taking Tasuki's chin in his hand, Chichiri leaned over and asked, "What's wrong Tasuki? Please, you can tell me. I don't want to see you so hurt."  


Tasuki nearly stared crying right there. "Chichiri…" he moaned.  


Chichiri brought Tasuki into his arms, protecting him from all of the world as Tasuki began to cry softly. Chichiri hushed him as Tasuki's tears fell onto his bare chest. He cursed himself for enjoying Tasuki's lips brushing against his skin sporadically. Between hot pants and crying, Tasuki as mumbling something unrecognizable. Chichiri held him tighter and pet his hair until the sniveling subsided. "Tasuki, can you tell me what's wrong?"  


Tasuki just remained hushed until Chichiri raised his face to his. Tasuki's mind howled, "Don't look at me like that! I can't tell you how much I want to kiss you right now, how long I've ached to be held like this for so long!" A deep crimson stained his cheeks. He looked away from Chichiri and mumbled, "It's nothing."  


He captured the book and sprang for the door when Chichiri retaliated, "Tasuki, please tell me what's wrong! It's not nothing!"  


By then Tasuki was out of the door. Chichiri sat abandoned in his unmade bed with tears welling up in his eyes. He grabbed and pulled at the covers in angry grief. "TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG DAMN IT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.  


Guards came to Chichiri's room only to find and unraveled bed and a book on his pillow. He lay on the roof with his knees to his chest in love-stricken agony. Damning himself for Tasuki's pain, he stared at the stars.  
  


In his own room, Tasuki tore his tessen off of his back and onto the ground. "Suzaku, why?! Why can't he just love me? Why can't I just tell him I love him and have him except me as his? You know how many times I've awoken at night screaming his name. You know how may times I've wanted to hold him to me not out of jest. Why can't I just be loved by him?" his mind raged and he fell to the coarse wooden floor pulling at his hair. Listlessly, he lay there with open palms and ragged breath waiting for sleep to claim him.  
  


Chichiri gave into the cold and returned to his disheveled bedding. He ripped off his open shirt and threw in across the room. Feeling alone, he buried his head in the pillow and held his sides waiting for more visions of his fiery haired beloved.  
  


Tasuki found himself walking the black halls of the palace. He couldn't sleep without seeing Chichiri's face under his eyelids. His mahogany-eyed love couldn't let him go even though Tasuki convinced himself he didn't care for him. He still needed Chichiri's touch. He desired to be held by him as he had been before. "Sweet Chichiri, I love you," he thought as the pulled open his door to see his dearest love curled up into a ball under the covers. Not even thinking. Tasuki pulled his shirt up over his head and let it fall onto the floor. Cautiously, he raised the covers and lay beside his love drinking in his moonlit snowy skin. He sighed involuntarily. Lightly he wrapped an arm over Chichiri's naked torso and hugged him firmly from behind where he fell asleep.  


Chichiri awoke very warm with a noticeable erection. He cursed at himself, then registered a presence behind and over him. There in a serene sleep, Tasuki lay with a smile on his face. "What is he doing is my bed?! How did he get here?" the monk thought hurriedly. His strong arms felt so nice on him, and his body rejected the idea of moving. Aroused, he fought off the idea to just fuck Tasuki in his sleep with great willpower. He lay still for a few moments and the erection slumped back down, but Tasuki was still in his bed. Unsure, he turned over to look at him. "He's so calm and beautiful," he thought. "If I just lie here, will he leave when he wakes up? Please Tasuki don't leave me," he ended the thought with a kiss to Tasuki's forehead. There he fell back asleep with an arm around Tasuki's waist.  


Tasuki awoke fairly early to the bright morning sun in his eyes. He blinked and rubbed his eyes to find Chichiri's solemn face sleeping back at him. Tasuki nearly jumped five feet in the air at the sight of Chichiri in his arms, so calm. In a surreal world he thought, "Does this mean he didn't wake up since I got here? Did he wake up? Shimatta! I better split or I'll be late to see Chiriko for morning lessons!" Reluctantly, he removed his body from the blessed porcelain heat. He put his shirts back on and roamed back to the library.  


Tasuki sat next to Chiriko at their normal seats and continued the lesson from the previous day. His mind unreeled the more characters he annunciated. All he could conceive was the ache in his bones from Chichiri's absence. The rest of the morning floated by hazily.  


Part 2


	2. Chapter Two

**Tasuki's Bedtime Story**

Pairing: Chichiri x Tasuki

Completed: December 2001

Author's note: I'm not a Japanese woman, so I don't own FY. This is my first FY fanfic. This fic includes themes of Shounen ai.

The sway of familiar hips slithered toward Tasuki's backside. He knew it was coming. He always knew. The customary bracelets clinked against each other as his arms wrapped around Tasuki's shoulders. He felt a chin on the top of his head as he continued chewing. For once, Nuriko wasn't babbling on and on as he got to Tasuki. Tasuki ignored him and listened to Chiriko mindlessly ramble new legal matters at Mitsukake. "Ta.su.ki." he purred softly lacking its mischievous manner.  


Nuriko felt him chewing like a cow underneath him. "Ta-chan," he nuzzled the side of Tasuki's head affectionately, prying attention from Tasuki. Tasuki tried to nudge Nuriko away with a grunt but only seemed to ignite his efforts. Nuriko grabbed his sides fondly and continued to purr. Tasuki's head was getting hot. Little was stopping him from punching Nuriko in the face. Chiriko glanced at Nuriko's annoy behavior, but decided he'd lost the battle before and ignored him. Tasuki was about to yank Nuriko away by the braid that was dangling on his chest when Nuriko hugged him from behind and asked, "So, is Chichiri really upset with me?" Then he whispered so Tasuki could feel his lips on his ear, "Or is he jealous?"  


Tasuki sat shocked, dropping his chopsticks. He regained his composure and removed Nuriko's arms forcefully from his body as the dining room door swayed shut in the distance. "Jealous of what?" Tasuki retorted picking his chopsticks back up refusing to look in Nuriko's direction.  


"Of us! We have so much fun with each other," he leaned on his shoulder. "He mopes around with that cat all day! He should lighten up like us. How come you didn't drink with me last night?"  


Tasuki didn't like the way she said "fun" or how he was bashing Chichiri. "Chichiri was right. Nuriko is selfish. All he wanted to know is why I didn't drink with him last night. Che. Damned Nuriko," he thought. "I had to study," he replied firmly.  


"Yeah right, Tasuki. You were with Tamahome, weren't you?"  


Tasuki was growing tired of him. He threw his chopsticks at Nuriko with an irate glare while standing up. "Fuck off, Nuriko! Che! Chiriko-chan, I'll see ya later," he started to walk out.  


Nuriko grabbed his arm desperately. "Why are you so mean to me now?! What have I done for everyone to be mean to me? Why do you like Chichiri more than me?!" Nuriko pleased near tears.  


Tasuki tried to get out of his grasp but failed. He noticed the scene they were making and tried to get Nuriko out of the room, but he wouldn't budge. "Nuriko, always the drama queen," he thought. He sighed and let his arm go limp. "I don't hate you Nuriko, but you're being do damned annoying! Suzaku! You are always on top of me! Can't you just leave me alone for a while?"  


"I leave you alone for enough time to go and play with Chichiri, don't I?!" He shrieked.  


With furious adrenaline flowing through his veins, he raised the captive hand out of his grasp and slapped Nuriko across the face. Nuriko dramatically fell to the ground and sprouted into a fountain of tears. His attendant ran to his side and pulled him up. Nuriko looked as if the last straw had been pulled from his rickety heart. His hands didn't hide the tears as Tasuki walked away lividly. Tasuki didn't look back, but headed to the garden at the other end of the palace.  
  


The sun glared Chichiri awake that morning. His bones throbbed of pleasure, but his joints ached with stiffness. He moved out of bed to do his aurora stretches and breathing exercises. It was on his seventh breath he remembered the night before. The air leapt out of his lungs. "Tasuki," was his only thought as he continued reaching for the air past his toes. Thoughtfully, he clothed himself and went to the dining area to eat with the other monks and discuss the flaws of life.  


He opened the door and let his eyes dart from one face to another until he saw Nuriko's mug. His stomach twisted at the sight of Nuriko draped over Tasuki like syrup. Tasuki sat there and took his behavior like he did before in the library. Sometimes he despised Nuriko. Not only for being so troublesome, but for being so close to Tasuki so often. He turned around and left to go relinquish some anger by the waterfront.  


During the walk Tama found his way to Chichiri's side. Chichiri picked him up and massaged his feathery-soft head in thought. Tama purred audibly and nuzzled up to Chichiri's neck. Chichiri smiled at Tama's obvious attempt to cheer him up. Just when Chichiri had gotten use to Tama's presence on his arm, he jumped freely onto garden grounds and into a tree at the center. Running after the cunning animal, Chichiri followed Tama to a plum tree. Chichiri prayed to the tree and took a couple plums from the fruitful tree. As he stretched to pick the fruit, Tama pawed at Chichiri's hands as if he couldn't get down from the second branch. Chichiri giggled at his plight and grabbed the cat from the branch noting Tama's claws digging into his skin. It wasn't painful, but it was cute to see the energetic cat so helpless. Chichiri cradled Tama in his arms with a cheerful smile. In Tama's black orbs he saw his grief. Tama tilted his head and jumped out of his arms, back into the tree. Chichiri stood there staring at the grass in a trance. "Did last night not matter at all to Tasuki? Nothing happened last night. Of course it meant nothing to him. I'm so stupid sometimes. Him and Nuriko have been together the whole time haven't they? Tasuki, I wish for your happiness even if you hurt me continuously. You are all I care about."  


Unsure whether he spoke it or just thought it, he stepped back at Tasuki walking toward the garden alone. Chichiri leapt into a nearby tree feeling nothing but misery. "I can't let him see my face!" he thought.  
  


"I could swear to Suzaku I heard Chichiri around here," he thought, scratching his head. He looked scrupulously around the garden to find nothing except a couple dropped fruit. When he arrived before the ripe fruit, he picked one up and bit widely into it. The juices swam around his mouth like fish finding a way out of a bowl. But the food brought no pleasure to him as he thought of what Nuriko dared say about his Chichiri. "Chichiri," he whimpered, dropping the fruit. Sitting against the tree, he dismissed the noises above him as birds. "I miss you."  


Then an impish monk jumped a foot in front of him, nearly pinning him to the tree. He scooted even closer to the tree as the masked face smiled at him. "Chichiri, you scared me! What'd you do that for?" he inquired briskly.  


"I saw you were talking to yourself no da. I thought you wanted company no da," he said. "Was I wrong no da?"  


Tasuki wagged his head. "Thanks Chichiri. I was looking for you anyway."  


"For me no da?" he was taken back.  


"Yeah, Nuriko was being a bitch again. I think he's jealous of us."  


"Of us no da? Aren't you and Nuriko . . . close?" he sat down timidly.  


"Yeah, well we used to be. Then he started being a bitch about Hotohori ignoring him. It was like he thought everyone was against him because Hotohori was ignoring him. I felt sorry for him, Che. You know how annoying he can get."  


"Hai. Hotohori will admit his feelings when the time is right no da."  


Tasuki jumped up, "What?! Hotohori likes Nuriko too?"  


"Couldn't you tell?" he asked.  


"Uh, no," he sat back down.  


"Hotohori always plays favorites when he tells us to go on journeys around the kingdom while keeping Nuriko close no da. He repremands people who are mean to him, too no da."  


Tasuki looked up at the squating monk. "He yelled at you didn't he?"  


"It doesn't matterno da. Once the emporer is done hiding his feelings, we'll all get more rest no da."  


The last word reminded them both of the night before, holding each other. "I wasn't drunk," Tasuki admitted.  


"What are you talking about no da?" he asked slipping into his impish ignorant ways.  


Tasuki's heart thumped angrily as he pulled Chichiri by the kase toward him. "Stop playing dumb Chichiri. I'm talking about last night."  


Breaths away from Tasuki's lips, he blushed and closed his eyes. "I figured as much."  


Tasuki let him go, but kept him pinned down with his eyes. "Chichiri, I found a note when I got you for Hotohori."  


He gasped and stared at the grass. "Stupid me!" he repremanded himself.  


"Was . . was it for me?" he whimpered.  


Chichiri stood up and began to walk away before Tasuki called to him again. "That's enough, Tasuki. I'll see you tonight."  
  


The pair didn't see each other all day until dinner. The remaining Seishi all sat together at the table next to the emporer's advisors. Nuriko stiffly ignored Tasuki and Chichiri, but stared warmly at the emporer.   


Tasuki lean over to Chiriko with a questioning look, "Yo, Chiriko, what's up with Nuriko?"  


He shrugged and asked one of Nuriko's maids. She merely giggled in reply.  


Tasuki coughed uncomfortably at Nuriko. She looked irked at the disruption. 'What do you want?"  


"Did you get laid or something? You're all happy and stuff."  


In reply, she humphfed and turned back to eating.  


On the other side of the table, closer to emporer, Chichiri ceremoniously ate his food ignoring the other two. The advisors were discussing the new laws petitioning against people who free slaves in the country. Everytime Chichiri tried to introject, the advisors shot him down with an evil stare. "What'd I do no da?" he thought. "Sheesh no da."  


Chiriko's eyes lit up a Nuriko's maid's words. She continued to whisper with a smile until Chiriko started laughing. Nuriko swatted her away.  


Tasuki peered, "What's so fuckin' funny Chiriko?"  


He calmed down with a few tears teeming from his small eyes. He whispered something into Tasuki's ears who then started to laugh ever harder than Chiriko moments before.  


Chichiri was slightly interested, but refused to talk to Tasuki before tonight. He turned his head to the ever serene emporer who now ignored all the suitors flirting with him. Chichiri was beginning to understand what was going on.  
  


At the fated time, Tasuki came to Chichiri's door with two pieces of parchment instead of a customary book. He still couldn't help but smile at the thought of being with his beloved, even if their relationship was messed up this time around.  


He slid the door open to find Chichiri sitting as be customarily did. Open shirt, a book in his lap, and a little candle to light his way. He smiled even though it was forced. "Hi, Chichiri."  


He looked up and smiled, "Hi Tasuki. Which book did you bring tonight?"  


Tasuki shut the door behind him. "I don't have a book." He walked to the foot of Chichiri's bed and placed the paper before him.  


"What's this?" he held up the paper. He recognized his hand writing on one and a handwriting he'd never seen before on the other. It was sloppy, but ledgible, like a child's. He looked up, "Is this your writing?"  


He nodded and sat at the foot of the bed, waiting.  


"Can I read it?" he asked.  


Tasuki nodded almost angrily.  
  


I'm not as good with words as you right now but thanks for helping me with my reading.   


I'm sorry. I did something wrong. That's the reason you're ignoring me. I just want to know if you hate me now that you know. If it's wrong to like you than I am wrong. Since you didn't tell me if that other note was for me, I'm guessing it wasn't. If you hate me or don't agree to what I'm about to ask, I'll go back to the bandits alone, never to bug you again. If you agree, then I'll never leave you side ever again. I'd die first.  


Genrou  
  


"What's your question, Tasuki?" Chichiri asked.  


Tasuki closed his eyes. "At dinner Chiriko told me that Hotohori finally told Nuriko about his feelings. They're going to get married in half a year's time. I guess Nuriko finally got her way and we won't have to hear her bitch, but marriage? That's huge, isn't it Chichiri? I think first people should be together before they marry. Being together doesn't take a huge commitment, just two people and trust. What I'm asking is, Chichiri," he opened up his dripping eyes.  


Chichiri felt like he was spewing pain. "Why is Tasuki crying? Damn it, Tasuki, you're hurting me . . ." he thought.  


"Chichiri, can you try to love me? Can we try to be together?" he tried not to cry. He just was. If Chichiri said no, he'd never see him again, never. He felt he'd die if he said no. The thought made him weep.  


Chichiri lunged for him as if to attack him.   


One heartbeat.  


Two heartbeats.  


Tasuki closed his eyes again. Arms pulled him so close he thought he was being crushed. He wasn't sure what had happened, so he stayed still.  


"BAKA! How could you think I'd want you to leave? Tasuki, I love you so much it hurts sometimes. Of course we can be together. Why else would I let you see me like this? How could I not care about you? Please don't go back to the mountain bandits!" he started to cry desperately. "Please . . ."  


Tasuki instantly pulled himself up to hold the monk back. "Chichiri, I love you, too. I'm not going anywhere. I promised not to leave your side, right? Fuck, Chichiri, I just hurt so much thinking you hated me."  


They loosened up and wiped away their tears. Without knowing it, their heartstrings were now tied together in infinite knots, never to break or loosen. They looked at each other's pouty red faces and smiled. Their lips found their way to each other effortlessly. Without words and a dimming candle, they explored their love for each other in new pleasing ways. Nothing that night was left untouched by hands, lips, and hearts. Tears of newly formed love were kissed away to spring solidarity in each other.  


Knots of limbs and organs twisted pleasurefully with panted names. They fell asleep in their sweaty mess to arise to a new morning of hopeless love.  



End file.
